


Snow Bound

by DeadlyBingo



Category: The Walking Dead (TV), bethyl - Fandom
Genre: F/M, ZA AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 06:10:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3108971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeadlyBingo/pseuds/DeadlyBingo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bethyl ZA AU.  Post "Alone," Beth and Daryl were never separated.  They decided to move toward a rumored safe zone in the north but were caught in a cabin during a snow storm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Daryl, come play in the snow." Beth's face glowed as she stared out the cabin's window. She hadn't seen much snow in her life, and never the foot that was on the ground now. She had stopped dreaming about getting to see a snow like this after the walkers arrived.

"Play? In the snow?" Daryl questioned grumpily, raising an eyebrow but not bothering to lift his head and acknowledge Beth as he poorly attempted to sew a rip in his vest with the cabin's needle and pink thread. They had been alone for a few months now and were slowly moving north. Beth had come up with the idea to move toward the country's capital and Daryl had no reason to tell her no.

"Please?" Beth tried to sound sweet. She knew Daryl would have one of two reactions: brush her off or give in. Lately, he had been giving in more often than not.

Daryl finally looked up, holding up his vest in defeat. "You sew this when we get back inside and we can go out if the coast in clear."

Beth just broke out in a smile in response, grabbing her jacket from the broken coat rack and pulling her knitted cap over her loose blonde hair.

"Damn, Greene. Slow down. We just need to go out and get some air. I can't stand being cooped up in here." Daryl complained as he grabbed his own coat from its spot on the table, but Beth could see the edges of his lips twitch as he pulled his jacket on.

"Hat?" Beth offered the black knitted cap they had found in the cabin, bounding over to Daryl, unable to hide her excitement.

"You'll be right back at the damn fire in five minutes." Daryl warned, pulling the cap over his messy hair and grabbing his crossbow from its spot by the door. "Southern blood ain't made for snow."

"I'll last longer than you." Beth challenged as she grabbed her knife from the windowsill. They had made themselves at home in this hunting cabin. The weapons were the first objects to get dedicated spots, but clothes and their few possessions soon followed. Only an emergency bag remained packed by the door. Though the decision had never been formally made, both parties knew they'd be here a while.

Beth and Daryl's conversation automatically paused as they moved quietly to opposite windows, peeking through boards for any sign of movement outside. After a minute of watching, Daryl moved to the door first, holding up his crossbow as he unlatched the bolts. At this point, their movements were so perfected they didn't even need to signal, Beth positioned herself behind Daryl, her knife drawn.

"We're good." Daryl determined, stepping outside slowly. "Don't see nothing out here and the traps on the perimeter would make noise if any try to come closer."

"They're so slow in the cold." Beth reflected as she put away her knife. "We could probably skip away from them."

Beth meant the comment as a joke but Daryl snapped in response. "Underestimating them is how you end up bitten, Greene. Never underestimate them."

Beth just smiled reassuringly to Daryl in response. Daryl had only gotten more protective over the months, as whatever was developing between them grew stronger, but she didn't mind. She was just as protective of him.

Beth stomped through the snow for a minute, appreciating the crunch under her feet and staring back at her tracks in the snow. Finally she stopped, turning back to face Daryl who stood stone still, his crossbow over his shoulder and his nose turning pink.

"So… What does playing in the snow actually entail?" She questioned, realizing she didn't have any plans beyond getting outside.

"Hell if I know." Daryl shrugged, kicking some snow off his worn boots.

Beth sighed as Daryl's eyes returned to the perimeter, watching for any movement, whether it be danger or potential prey.

Suddenly, Daryl felt the icy shock of snow hitting his face, leaving a burning sensation behind it. His bow was drawn before he registered Beth's laughing, another snowball already in her hand.

"You asked for it, Greene." Daryl warned, letting his crossbow fall to his side as he bent over, grabbing chunks of snow to throw her way.

Beth attempted to run but quickly tripped over her own feet as she was slowed down by the snow and within a moment Daryl was above her, a smile glued to his face and more snowballs in his hands.

"I give up! You win!" Beth admitted, trying to cover her face with her cold hands.

"That's what I thought." Daryl bragged, dropping the snowballs at his side before reaching a hand out to Beth in a sign of peace.

Just as he was pulling her up, a sudden look of joyous realization flashed across Beth's face and she jerked her body down, causing both her and Daryl to fall into the snow.

"Damnit, Greene!" Daryl yelled, trying to sound mad but a light laugh slipping into his tone. "Now we'll both freeze!"

Beth just continued laughing, her face turning a light pink from the cold. As she looked over at Daryl, noticing the snow now frozen to his beard, her laugher intensified.

"It's been five minutes." Daryl determined, pushing himself back up. "My southern blood needs the fire and we still got some of that rabbit left."

Beth nodded in agreement, this time allowing Daryl to pull her back up with one arm.

After they had re-bolted the door and stripped their outerwear, Beth and Daryl settled in by the fire and Beth allowed her head to fall onto Daryl's shoulder, as it had done so many times before when sitting in the same position. She couldn't place the moment she and Daryl had become so comfortable with each other, but she never took the familiarity for granted.

Without a word, Daryl's arm moved around Beth and he allowed his cheek to rest on her head for a moment. Though Beth often rested against Daryl, he had yet to return the favor.

"You seemed cold." Daryl muttered awkwardly, as if suddenly realizing what he had done.

Beth just smiled, holding out her hand, "Feel my fingers, they're freezin'"


	2. Snow Angels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the sequel to Snow Bound, titled "Snow Angels." A few other chapters are written but I honestly prefer it as a one shot and sequel. Enjoy!

Daryl snuck glances at Beth as she concentrated on attempting to roll the snow into a base for her snowman. He didn't have the heart to reveal to her that the snow was too powdery to effectively stick together on such a big project. Rather, he just watched and listened as she swore quietly to herself.

"Cold yet, Greene?" He asked, adjusting his crossbow over his shoulder.

"No." She huffed, patting her hands together in an attempt to bring circulation back to her fingers. "Ya know, you could help."

Daryl just laughed in response, turning his head away and pretending to scan the perimeter.

He still couldn't shake the memory of last night. Following their first adventure into the snow, something changed between them. They sat by the fire, as they had so many nights in this cabin, and Beth leaned into his shoulder, as she had done on many other cold evenings, but this time Daryl returned the favor and ended up with her hands between his, slowly warming up her frozen fingers. After a while, the pans on the perimeter clanged and Daryl went out with his crossbow, only to find a sickly looking raccoon wandering up their front steps. By the time he returned, Beth was occupied melting snow over the fire for tea and they never mentioned the exchange.

But now, Daryl couldn't shake the feeling of her hands in his. He kept squeezing his fingers into fists, as if trying to erase the memory from his palms but the warm sensation never dissipated.

Something about Beth Greene in the snow was fitting. Sure, she was southern, her blood far too thin for the chill in the air, but she still fit. Snow, like Beth, appears innocent, serene, and harmless at first. It is beautiful and captivating to look at. It isn't until you need to accomplish something despite the snow that you realize just how resilient it is. How much it can put up a fight. How much it forces you to acknowledge its existence.

To Daryl, Beth Greene was snow. The perfect mixture of purity and hope, combined with an indomitable strength that shouldn't be underestimated.

Daryl had to shake himself out of his daze, just as Beth finally gave up, kicking at the snow below her boots.

"This was a dumb idea." She mumbled. "Let's just go huntin like you said."

Daryl made his way closer. "Too bad, a snow-walker would-a been good bow practice for ya."

Beth didn't smile like she usually did at his lame jokes, causing Daryl to reach out and touch her arm reassuringly. "It's just snow, Greene?"

Beth gave a half-hearted smile, looking at the ground rather than up at Daryl. "My sisters and I always talked about going away for a white Christmas. Goin north. Making snowmen and snow angels on Christmas day. Guess I just wanted to do somethin for them... now that they're…"

Daryl felt a pull on his heart. Beth usually mentioned Maggie in an optimistic light. She would always talk about when she and Maggie were back together, rather than if. She carried so much hope that the others had made it out of the prison that even Daryl started to believe their friends were safe.

Daryl didn't know how to respond to Beth's sudden change of heart and he knew she didn't expect him to. Talking through feelings never was his thing, even if they had gotten close. Rather, after a moment he sighed, taking the crossbow off his back and handing it to Beth.

"You want your damn snow angel?" He asked, letting his body fall back on the ground with a thud.

The last time Daryl Dixon tried to make a snow angel, he was 6 or 7 years old, and Merle kicked his ass for acting like a girl. But he still figured out the simple movements to create the desired effect in the snow, slowly and awkwardly moving his arms and legs.

Daryl knew he made the right decision when a quiet laugh escaped Beth's lips.

"You laughin at my art?" Daryl questioned, sitting up and immediately feeling the cold snow from the back of his hair fall down the inside of his jacket.

"No!" Beth claimed, her giggles suggesting otherwise.

Daryl stood up slowly, trying not to reveal his effort not to ruin his work. As he stepped back, he couldn't help but be disappointed by the unevenness of the entire thing. Maybe he didn't quite remember how to make snow angels.

"Now, make yer damn angel so we can go inside." He said with a nod toward an untouched patch of snow.

Beth smiled in response, the sadness from just moments ago now erased from her face. She handed Daryl back his bow and eased herself onto the ground, quickly figuring out how to move her arms and legs to make a much more symmetrical snow angel than Daryl had.

After she stood up, they both stepped back, standing arm to arm to look at the pair of angels in silence.

"I think mine's more like a snow demon." Daryl eventually admitted, looking at the awkwardness of his outline next to Beth's.

Beth tilted her head toward Daryl, a steady positivity in her eyes, "Daryl Dixon, you're an angel, never doubt that."


End file.
